UT: Missing brains disposed of in 2002

Updated 2:10 pm, Wednesday, December 3, 2014

Photo: Courtesy Of Adam Voorhes

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"Malformed: Forgotten Brains of the Texas State Mental Hospital" — authored by Austin photographer Adam Voorhes and journalist Alex Hannaford — shows dozens of photographs of brains of former patients treated at the State Lunatic Asylum, now the Austin State Hospital, from 1952 to 1983. The collection, housed at the University of Texas at Austin, was intended to aid mental health research.

"Malformed: Forgotten Brains of the Texas State Mental Hospital" — authored by Austin photographer Adam Voorhes and journalist Alex Hannaford — shows dozens of photographs of brains of former patients ... more

Photo: Courtesy Of Adam Voorhes

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"Malformed: Forgotten Brains of the Texas State Mental Hospital" — authored by Austin photographer Adam Voorhes and journalist Alex Hannaford — shows dozens of photographs of brains of former patients treated at the State Lunatic Asylum, now the Austin State Hospital, from 1952 to 1983.
Voorhes said he and Robin Finlay, Voorhes' wife and business partner, discovered the collection — preserved in formaldehyde in several glass containers — at the University of Texas at Austin while on assignment to photograph a different brain in 2011.

"Malformed: Forgotten Brains of the Texas State Mental Hospital" — authored by Austin photographer Adam Voorhes and journalist Alex Hannaford — shows dozens of photographs of brains of former patients ... more

Photo: Courtesy Of Adam Voorhes

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"Malformed: Forgotten Brains of the Texas State Mental Hospital" — authored by Austin photographer Adam Voorhes and journalist Alex Hannaford — gives a haunting view into a lost collection of almost 100 abnormal brains belonging to former Texas mental patients dating back to the 1950s. Voorhes decided to photograph the brain collection after he and Robin Finlay, Voorhes' wife and business partner, discovered the collection at the University of Texas at Austin while on assignment to photograph a different brain in 2011.

"Malformed: Forgotten Brains of the Texas State Mental Hospital" — authored by Austin photographer Adam Voorhes and journalist Alex Hannaford — gives a haunting view into a lost collection of almost 100 ... more

Photo: Courtesy Of Adam Voorhes

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"Malformed: Forgotten Brains of the Texas State Mental Hospital" — a new book authored by Austin photographer Adam Voorhes and journalist Alex Hannaford — shows dozens of photographs of brains of former patients treated at the State Lunatic Asylum, now the Austin State Hospital, from 1952 to 1983. UT-Austin obtained the collection — intended to aid mental health research — after jostling with Harvard University and Yale University among others in what's been dubbed the "Battle of the Brains," according to a news release.

"Malformed: Forgotten Brains of the Texas State Mental Hospital" — a new book authored by Austin photographer Adam Voorhes and journalist Alex Hannaford — shows dozens of photographs of brains of former ... more

Photo: Courtesy Of Adam Voorhes

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"Malformed: Forgotten Brains of the Texas State Mental Hospital" — authored by Austin photographer Adam Voorhes and journalist Alex Hannaford — shows dozens of photographs of brains of former patients treated at the State Lunatic Asylum, now the Austin State Hospital, from 1952 to 1983. Officials at the University of Texas at Austin have opted to create MRI scans of each brain and display them at the university's Dell Medical School, set to accept its first class of students in fall 2016.

"Malformed: Forgotten Brains of the Texas State Mental Hospital" — authored by Austin photographer Adam Voorhes and journalist Alex Hannaford — shows dozens of photographs of brains of former patients ... more

Photo: Courtesy Of Adam Voorhes

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"Malformed: Forgotten Brains of the Texas State Mental Hospital" — authored by Austin photographer Adam Voorhes and journalist Alex Hannaford — shows dozens of photographs of brains of former patients treated at the State Lunatic Asylum, now the Austin State Hospital, from 1952 to 1983.
Voorhes decided to photograph the brains after discovering them at the University of Texas at Austin in 2011.

"Malformed: Forgotten Brains of the Texas State Mental Hospital" — authored by Austin photographer Adam Voorhes and journalist Alex Hannaford — shows dozens of photographs of brains of former patients ... more

Photo: Courtesy Of Adam Voorhes

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"Malformed: Forgotten Brains of the Texas State Mental Hospital" — authored by Austin photographer Adam Voorhes and journalist Alex Hannaford — shows dozens of photographs of almost 100 abnormal brains belonging to former Texas mental patients treated at the State Lunatic Asylum, now the Austin State Hospital, from 1952 to 1983.

"Malformed: Forgotten Brains of the Texas State Mental Hospital" — authored by Austin photographer Adam Voorhes and journalist Alex Hannaford — shows dozens of photographs of brains of former patients treated at the State Lunatic Asylum, now the Austin State Hospital, from 1952 to 1983. The book will be released in November by powerHouse Books for $39.95.

"Malformed: Forgotten Brains of the Texas State Mental Hospital" — authored by Austin photographer Adam Voorhes and journalist Alex Hannaford — shows dozens of photographs of brains of former patients ... more

Photo: Courtesy Of Adam Voorhes

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FILE--An Aug. 2,1966 photo shows where killings took place at the Texas Univesity tower in Austin, Texas. After 23 years, the University of Texas decided Thursday Nov. 12, 1998 to reopen the school's landmark clock tower, the site of one of the nation's worst mass murders. 'X' shows where victims were slain. The Corner where Charles Whitman died is partly blocked in photo. Five victims were inside the tower on steps, apparently shot by Whitman on his way to observation walkway. (AP Photo/stf) less

FILE--An Aug. 2,1966 photo shows where killings took place at the Texas Univesity tower in Austin, Texas. After 23 years, the University of Texas decided Thursday Nov. 12, 1998 to reopen the school's landmark ... more

Photo: AP

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In 1967, a campus police officer keeps visitors out the UT tower's observation deck, which had been temporarily closed. A year earlier, Charles Whitman killed 14 people in and from the tower.

In 1967, a campus police officer keeps visitors out the UT tower's observation deck, which had been temporarily closed. A year earlier, Charles Whitman killed 14 people in and from the tower.

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Photos released by the Austin Police Department pertaining to the Charles Whitman shootings. These photos are part of a last batch of evidence released to the public in fall of 2001. Charles Whitman (NOT PICTURED) carried into the tower an arsenal of weapons and enough food to sustain him for days and began firing on students as they walked to class. less

Photos released by the Austin Police Department pertaining to the Charles Whitman shootings. These photos are part of a last batch of evidence released to the public in fall of 2001. Charles Whitman (NOT ... more

Photo: Austin Police Department

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Photos released by the Austin Police Department pertaining to the Charles Whitman shootings. These photos are part of a last batch of evidence released to the public in fall of 2001.

Photos released by the Austin Police Department pertaining to the Charles Whitman shootings. These photos are part of a last batch of evidence released to the public in fall of 2001.

Photo: Austin Police Department

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Charles J. Whitman released family pictures of his son and daughter-in-law at a press conference in Lake Worth, Fla. Whitman said the pictures are two years old. Charles J. Whitman perched himself upon the University of Texas tower and gunned down victims in Austin, Tex. Wracked by headaches and depression, Whitman had a brain tumor, which his autopsy reavealed. less

Charles J. Whitman released family pictures of his son and daughter-in-law at a press conference in Lake Worth, Fla. Whitman said the pictures are two years old. Charles J. Whitman perched himself upon the ... more

Photo: AP

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Photos released by the Austin Police Department pertaining to the Charles Whitman shootings. These photos are part of a last batch of evidence released to the public in fall of 2001. This letter was written by Charles Whitman before the University of Texas tower shooting. less

Photos released by the Austin Police Department pertaining to the Charles Whitman shootings. These photos are part of a last batch of evidence released to the public in fall of 2001. This letter was written ... more

Photo: Austin Police Department

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View of the University of Texas campus as seen through a drain aperture in the side of the tower's observation deck. This is the vantage point Whitman had when he fired his rifle, killing 10 of his 16 victims from here and wounding 31. less

View of the University of Texas campus as seen through a drain aperture in the side of the tower's observation deck. This is the vantage point Whitman had when he fired his rifle, killing 10 of his 16 victims ... more

Photo: E. Joseph Deering, Houston Chronicle

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Charles J. Whitman, a 24-year-old student at the University of Texas, is shown in this is a 1966 photograph. Until the carnage at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Va., on Monday, April 16, 2007, the Aug. 1, 1966, sniping rampage by Whitman from the Austin school's landmark 307-foot tower had remained the deadliest campus shooting in U.S. history. (AP Photo) less

Charles J. Whitman, a 24-year-old student at the University of Texas, is shown in this is a 1966 photograph. Until the carnage at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Va., on Monday, April 16, 2007, the Aug. 1, ... more

Photo: AP

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Smoke rises from a sniper's gun as he fires from the tower of the University of Texas administration building on crowds below in this August 1, 1966, file photo. Until the carnage at Virginia Tech Monday, April 16, 2007, the 1966 sniping rampage by Charles Whitman from the Austin school's landmark 307-foot tower had remained the deadliest campus shooting in U.S. history. (AP Photo) less

Smoke rises from a sniper's gun as he fires from the tower of the University of Texas administration building on crowds below in this August 1, 1966, file photo. Until the carnage at Virginia Tech Monday, April ... more

Photo: AP

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Kathy Leissner and Charles Whitman 1962 Kathy Leissner married Charles J. Whitman in her hometown here Aug. 17, 1962. Whitman killed Kathy and his mother, Mrs. C.A. Whitman, at Austin, Tex., before shooting 13 people to death and wounding 30 others from a sniper's nest atop the University of Texas. HOUCHRON CAPTION (10/25/1998): Kathy Whitman less

A puff of smoke is visible at the University of Texas Tower during a sniping siege Aug. 1, 1966, by gunman Charles Whitman. credit: Richard Kidd / The Daily Texan.

A puff of smoke is visible at the University of Texas Tower during a sniping siege Aug. 1, 1966, by gunman Charles Whitman. credit: Richard Kidd / The Daily Texan.

Photo: Richard Kidd, The Daily Texan

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EDITORS NOTE GRAPHIC CONTENT ** FILE **A victim of sniper Charles Whitman is placed into a waiting ambulance during the shooting spree at the University of Texas in Austin, Aug. 1, 1966. Until the carnage at Virginia Tech Monday, April 16, 2007, the Aug. 1, 1966, the sniper rampage by Charles Whitman from the Austin school's landmark 307-foot tower had remained the deadliest campus shooting in U.S. history. (AP Photo) less

EDITORS NOTE GRAPHIC CONTENT ** FILE **A victim of sniper Charles Whitman is placed into a waiting ambulance during the shooting spree at the University of Texas in Austin, Aug. 1, 1966. Until the carnage ... more

Photo: AP

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LIFE cover from Aug. 12, 1966 showing bullet-riddled store window from Charles Whitman's rampage at University of Texas. Caption reads "The Texas Sniper."

LIFE cover from Aug. 12, 1966 showing bullet-riddled store window from Charles Whitman's rampage at University of Texas. Caption reads "The Texas Sniper."

Photo: SHEL HERSHORN, Time & Life Pictures/Getty Image

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The University of Texas Tower is shown Monday, July 31, 2006, in Austin, Texas. Charles Whitman fired shots from the observation deck of the tower Aug. 1, 1966. The snipings by the former Eagle Scout, former Marine, former University of Texas student took the lives of 16 and wounded 31. (AP Photo/Harry Cabluck) less

The University of Texas Tower is shown Monday, July 31, 2006, in Austin, Texas. Charles Whitman fired shots from the observation deck of the tower Aug. 1, 1966. The snipings by the former Eagle Scout, former ... more

Photo: HARRY CABLUCK, AP

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Fourteen people are killed and 32 are injured when University of Texas student Charles Whitman goes on a shooting rampage in and atop of the UT Tower. Whitman also killed his wife and mother before climbing the tower. less

Fourteen people are killed and 32 are injured when University of Texas student Charles Whitman goes on a shooting rampage in and atop of the UT Tower. Whitman also killed his wife and mother before climbing the ... more

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UT: Missing brains disposed of in 2002

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SAN ANTONIO — More than 100 brains missing from a collection of abnormal brains belonging to former Texas mental patients dating back to the 1950s were disposed of in 2002, a spokesman the University of Texas at Austin said Wednesday.

UT spokesman Gary Susswein said Wednesday that workers with the university's Environmental Health and Safety division disposed of the brains in 2002. The brains arrived at the university in the 1980s.

"Faculty members determined they were in poor condition and not usable for research or teaching," Susswein said.

A statement issued by the university Wednesday said officials will appoint an investigative committee to determine "how the decision was made to dispose of some of these specimens and how all brain specimens have been handled since the university received its collection from the Austin State Hospital in the 1980s."

The Los Angeles Times previously reported that the brains had been found at the University of Texas at San Antonio, but Susswein said there's no evidence to suggest the brains ever arrived in San Antonio.

"We are looking at various possibilities, not just locations, about what became of these brain specimens," Susswein said earlier Wednesday.

Media outlets, including the San Antonio Express-News, reported the brain of Charles Whitman — a former U.S. Marine who shot and killed 16 people on the University of Texas campus before he was fatally shot by police on Aug. 1, 1966 — was among one of the missing brains.

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"We have no evidence at this time that any of the brain specimens came from Charles Whitman, though we will continue to investigate those reports," the statement said.

The collection — shown in dozens of photographs in the book "Malformed: Forgotten Brains of the Texas State Mental Hospital," authored by Austin photographer Adam Voorhes and journalist Alex Hannaford — was discovered when Voorhes and Robin Finlay, his wife and business partner, while on assignment to photograph a different brain in 2011.

They f0und almost 100 abnormal brains preserved in formaldehyde in several glass containers.

Though officials with the Austin State Hospital told Hannaford that records of the brains had likely been destroyed, UT professor Tim Schallert — a neuroscientist who curated the collection — knew that one brain in the collection belonged to Whitman, according to KUT.

Following the shooting spree, Austin police found a note from Whitman asking that his brain be examined by a pathologist, KUT reported.

Pathologist Coleman de Chenar — who began collecting brains for the hospital under questionable legality — found a small tumor in Whitman's brain, which led to disagreement about whether the tumor caused Whitman's sudden violence. The shooter had murdered his wife and mother prior to his spree on the UT campus.

Hannaford and Schallert found a number that matched the format on jars that contained the brains while looking at Whitman's autopsy report, according to KUT.

"So literally we ran, me and Tim and his assistant ran back into the store cupboard and went through these hundred brains to see if Whitman's might be there," Hannaford said.

They looked at each label looking for a matching number, but no luck: Whitman's brain wasn't there.

UT-Austin obtained the collection — intended to aid mental health research — after jostling with Harvard University and Yale University among others in what's been dubbed the "Battle of the Brains," according to a news release.

Schallert told Hannaford that the collection included about 200 specimens whether they were originally given to the university, Hannaford writes in The Atlantic.

Dr. Jerry Fineg, then-director of the Animal Resources Center, asked Schallert during the mid-1990s if he could move half of the jars elsewhere, then taking up shelf space at the center.

By the time Schallert did so, he found they had vanished. When Schaller asked Fineg what happened, the director told the professor that he simply got rid of them, Hannaford writes.

"I never found out exactly what happened — whether they were just given away, sold or whatever — but they just disappeared," Schallert said.